I remember when watching the news each day was considered almost mandatory. To keep yourself up to speed and informed on essential events was considered the done thing. When did the reporting become so dirty and shameless? I don’t want to get into that here, but I do want to get into the App News app. It seems to be getting worse, and each time I try and use it, I have to battle through topics I have no interest in, to find a few bits I do.

I have been unable to clear away persistent Election updates since that whole farce started. Apple added it into my following section without asking, and there is no way to remove it. Apple has been shoving politics at me if I like it or not. I want to use the Apple News app because I can’t find an alternative, and since adding in magazines, it shows how horrible an app it is. Heres the thing, I think rolling magazines into Apple News was a huge mistake. The content doesn’t go together, and the two sides the app are drastically different.

Split It Out

The magazine tab features well-written and researched articles that look great. You only have to look at something like Men’s Health to see what digesting exciting publications can achieve. Content that flows well together, images fitting of the design and overall an impressive, immersive list of publications that matter.

Whereas the News tab is the polar opposite. News topics are forced into your face if you like them or not, with a massive influx of clickbait and dramatic headlines. They don’t seem to be selected by algorithm because I’ve never clicked on one, but Top Stories is constantly a cesspool. You’re never quite sure if the full story is going to be featured, or if you are going to have to head to the website anyway. There also doesn’t seem to be any monitoring of the content submitted, and overall I detest ever visiting the tab.

I have tried so many times to try and ‘fix’ the algorithm, spent weeks telling Apple I don’t want this type of story, but nothing makes a blind bit of difference. I have never come across anyone that’s subscribed to News +, but I certainly would if I didn’t have depressing, uninteresting News shoved in my face all the time.